Injured rugby player beats the odds

By AINSLEY THOMSON

Five months ago Vaughan de Groen was told it would take a miracle before he could use both arms again.

The captain of the Thames Rugby Club's senior reserve team had fractured his spine in a game on June 21.

Somehow, during a tackle or the ruck that followed, Mr de Groen's head was forced back, twisting his spinal cord and fracturing his spine between the C4 and C5 bones in his neck.

The injury left him a tetraplegic.

When the Weekend Herald interviewed Mr de Groen in August he had been told he would get back only partial movement in his right arm, barring miracles he would not be able to use his left arm, and he would never operate a manual wheelchair.

But he is beating the odds. He can now move both arms and can use a manual wheelchair.

"The specialists were quite surprised when they saw how much movement I've got," he says.

It has also been five months since the 28-year-old was last able to live at home.

Long months spent in an induced coma in intensive care between Thames, Waikato and Middlemore Hospitals as the seriousness of his neck injury became known, then finally the Otara spinal unit. Long months away from his wife, Rochelle, and 22-month-old daughter, Caitlyn.

But on Wednesday, the day before Rochelle's 28th birthday, he finally came home to his new house overlooking the Firth of Thames.

After spending his own birthday in hospital, Mr de Groen was determined to be at home for his wife's. He made it, beating the home-date the specialists had given him.

Despite his progress, there have been low times.

During those moments it is the support from his family and friends that has pulled him through.

The extent of support for the de Groens was shown during a charity rugby match and auction in August, which raised more than $28,000 for the family.

When Mr de Groen was injured he was part-way through building the family's home.

After the accident his boss, Shaun Richards, stepped in and organised for the house to be finished.

Now that Mr de Groen is home he is concentrating on his next goal - returning to work.

An electrician by trade, he plans to get into electrical draughting and hopes to return to work for Mr Richards next year.

In the meantime, he is working on improving his strength and using a manual wheelchair as much as possible.

How much movement he will regain will not be known for three years, as the injury stabilises.

Research in the area of spinal injuries gives him hope.

"Something has to happen in the next 50 years that will fix it."